Stillz Teams with Harmony Korine’s Edglrd – ryan

Harmony Korine’s Digital IP-Focused Tech and Filmming Studio Edglrd, Until Now, Has Yielded Two Features, Both directly by Korine Himself: The Infrared, Twisted Techno Dance Party of “Aggro Dr1ft” Boring and Sickeningly Compelling, voyeuristic Video Games Disguing As Movies. But video games in a sense where the viewer instead has no Control, entirery in thrall to Korine’s anti-audition vision.

Columbian -american Photographer Stillz Makes His Own Bid at Edglrd’s Aim of Redefining the Medium with His Feature Debut, “Barrio Triste,” AFTER A LUGTIME COLLABORATION WITH PUERTO RIC BAD BUNNY. IT’S The Most Narrative-InClined Project Yet to Emerge from EdGLRD’s Stable of Button-Pushing Projects, and Yet “Barrio Trytte,” Which Premiered in the Venice Horizons Section for Cutting-Edge Filmmakers before HEADING to TIFF, Still Feels More Like a Videration. DEMANDS YOUR ATTENTION IN THETEATS. The Kind of Project-Here, A Quasi-Footage-Footage Horror Movie Set 1980s Medellín as the City is Terrorized by Crime and Possible Extraterrestrial Beings- to another gallery.

This one is told in fantic style, edgeless and raw to the nubs, Winding Its Way Through Lawless Columbian Streetways. With an alternating Serene and Jolting, and Never-Ceasing, Score by Barcelona-Based Electronic Musician ARCA, “Barrio Triste” is Certainly a Hypnotic Experience-in the sensation that a hypnotic also might be intended to lull you to sleep.

Stillz does His Own Cinematography and Writing (if there is a Screenplay, it appears to have been abducted out of the Movie by aliens), shooting on lo-fi-centered that recalls the bunket of Found-Footage Horror Movies. Whether or not the pixellated Image Quality – Where we are looking at is a whole tear of nothing once a groof of steal a broadcast Journist’s Camera torair their experience – was a trick of Movie magic in post is unclear and, i sup.

The 1980s Setting, Given Stillz’s Background As A Colombian, isn’t entirery inexplicable, as the gen z filmmaker work off memory and stories that predate Him. But what’s missing, howver on purpos, is context.

When the film opens, an on-name Newscaster is relaying information about extraterrestrial lights that are al Theyedly falling the sky in medellín, ino people’s homes, and with a metallic sound. Thatn, a marauding pack of Teenage Thieves attacks Him and Steals his Crew’s Camera as they Head off -another Heist. A TENSE JEWELRY STORE ROBBERY, PULY UP BY ARCA’S PROGRESSIVELY DOOMY SCORE THAT EVENUALLY BECOMES UNBEARABLY CLANGOROUS and Scary, is orchestated with Vivid Realism. But you have mighty wish the camera Wold down a bit, or that one of the kids operating it has more cinematographic experience.

But the erosion of a sophisticated visual sensitibility or palate is entirery the point of Stillz’s Feature Debut, and that it is adjacent to heist or alien Movies at all Makes for the Most Narrative-Driven Yet of EdGLRD’S Project. This is if that narrative promise tournas out to be a red herring for the far -soing, meandering installments that follow. A late Schene in which the Cameraman (Call Him) Scales HIS WAY UP THE SNAKING, GRAFFITI-SPLATTERED CORRORDS OF A SLUMMY APPLICATION BUILDING UP TOWARD ITS ROOFTOP AT NIGHT THE CLIMACALS DESCENT OF “The Blair Witch Project.” Yet the payoff on the other side is far less than chilling due to a lack of emotional current, nor this film’s swan-like set piece imposes some nifty special atmosphere and supernatural atmosphere.

Whtever edglrd’s formula is-and it seames to be one keen on building in-house ip that can be min for projects in other forms, where or actual games or for feeding into it-is still being mapped out. In “Barrio Trati,” it appears to be happy in real time. The interwearing crime-movie and positionible alien-abduction threads Vining Around the Empty Skeleton at this Movie’s Center Never Quite Cohere, and On-Camera interviews with any number of the criminal teens no emotional scaffold to rob.

There is beauty in the ugliness of “Barrio triste,” but the film Feels like a half-started sentiment, a germ of an idea that doesn’t bloom. More to come, i’m su, but stillz’s movie doesn’t justify waking it out.

Grad: c

“Barrio Trati” Premiered at the 2025 Venice Film Festival before Playing TIFF. It is currently seeking us distribution.

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